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When she elve, Kara watched the apparition of an old woh her classroom This happened every day for a solid week; same woman, same time, same class Curiosity eventually overrode caution, and Kara found herself raising her hand… and getting excused to the bathroom, so she could follow her
The strangely-garbed woh a series of hallways, and then down into a broken and abandoned part of the school There, hidden beneath an old floorboard, Kara unearthed a whole purse full of gleaold coins A purse she kneas there only because she’d watched the apparition put it there… so o
The district took possession of the coins i Kara with one as a souvenir But the story les to rebuild the gyer’ for the rest of her school career
Not long after that, she saw Xiomara for the first time
The old woman looked pretty much the same as she did now, shtly back over her tiny head She showed up in strange places; at stores in the mall, in seats at the h school play It was easy to pick her out aly endless array of bright,at her Staring at Kara intently through her wire-rilasses
It wasn’t until her sophouts to approach her She walked straight up to the old wo lot of a convenience store, and asked her what the hell she wanted And Xio those first four words: “It’s about fucking time”
It was Xioift, and hoas a blessing and not a curse She explained that her visions were as in the world, and that she shouldn’t ever feel badly about them
So
Later on, Kara would realize the old wo tabs on her ever since It was scary at first, but it was nice to finally be believed Besides, the old woman seemed harmless Kara had questions about her abilities, and Xiomara had answers Hell, she was the only one with answers
They began spending tiether, and that’s where Kara learned just how special she was Xioht Kara how her abilities could be commanded, directed, even somewhat controlled When the visions occurred, she showed her how to sharpen the details To enhance and focus on things It was like owning an expensive a someone show you what all the knobs and dials were for
“Clairvoyance,” the wo “The ability to see things as they happened, or as they will happen”
The old wo her head
“But I can’t—”
“Your specific ability is retrocognition,” Xiomara had said “The ability to see the past exactly as it happened Sort of like watching an old e what happened” Her face crossed with a dark expression, but only for a nitive connection we’ve ever seen Perhaps in all the history of the Order”
Kara could re — to accept the truth Part of her screaer part of her told her what she already knew; that everything the wo for years